Drowning
by kittycat69
Summary: Oneshot. "It's funny...but in all the movies, people always kiss in the rain. I can't tell if it would be wonderful or if it would just be wet and slippery. Have you ever thought about it? It's an interesting hypothesis." ChristinexMichael.


**a/n: In my opinion, there aren't enough ChristinexMichael stories, and I hope to solve that issue. Starting now. Enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bones.**

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**Drowning**

She collapses next to me. Her eyes close and her arm comes up to cover her face. I wish she wouldn't. I love her eyes. I love her face. But she forgot her sunglasses and, for once, it's bright and sunny outside. My shirt sticking to my skin from a mixture of sweat and drying mud. Flecks of dirt cling to her flushed cheeks. Her clothes are splattered with mud. She still looks perfect, still looks beautiful.

"What was the score?" she pants.

"Five-two," I reply, "You lost."

"Screw you," she takes another deep breath and slowly moves her arm so she can open her eyes but still shields them from direct sunlight, "You cheated."

"Hey, I'm not the one who threw the ball at the goal."

"I still didn't make it in, now did I? So it doesn't count anyway." she demands.

I roll my eyes, "Still against the rules."

"Screw you."

I have to fight the grin off my face. Instead, I sit up and reach for my water bottle. I take a long gulp of water. I pull the bottle from my lips to catch my breath. Wordlessly, she takes it from me and downs the rest of the water.

"Sure, help yourself," I grumble. She gives me a dazzling smile. She unscrews the top of the water bottle and pours the last couple of ounces over her head so that her curly hair clings to her skin. Her cheeks are flushed from exertion and her eyes are alight from a challenge.

"You need to practice more," I tell her, "Playing you isn't even a challenge anymore."

I pick up the nearby soccer ball and toss it at her.

She drops the bottle to catch the ball.

"It's not fair," she playfully sneers at me, "I deserved some handicap points or something. You practice almost every day."

I chuckle, "That's what happens when you live down the street from a school. Lots of practice opportunities. And I'm taller and more athletic than you. And I'm not a klutz like you seem to be lately."

"Don't gloat, you jerk," She attempts to spin it on a finger. It doesn't go too well; it wobbles and slides off and she lets loose a string curse words.

She turns to face me, letting the ball drop into her lap, "At least I got a higher grade on my science test than you."

"By one point!" I exclaim in protest.

"I can still beat you in karate," she informs me, her arms crossing in front her chest.

"Only because you've studied it since you were able to walk."

"Same with you and this stupid game. Who really cares about kicking a ball across a field and into a net?"

I shoot her a teasing grin, "Thousands of fans across the world."

She sticks her tongue out at me but I smile nonetheless.

She rolls her eyes with a huff and leans back to lie in the muddy grass. Her body stretches, back arching. She sighs, smiling into the bright sun. Automatically, my eyes scan her body before I realize what I'm doing and a blush creeps up my face. I turn to stare into the sun. Eye damage to hell, I'm not going to let her catch me staring at her.

With another sigh, I hear her sit up next to me. Her head suddenly resting on my shoulder causes me to flinch but she either doesn't notice or doesn't care.

"Ugh, I am so exhausted. I don't think I can make it home," she complains. She rubs the ankle she twisted during the last play, "I should have drove here instead of walking."

I turn to face her, "If you always regret walking here, then why did you walk here in the first place?"

She shrugs against my side, "No clue. Habit, I guess. I always think walking here is a good idea and then forget I have to walk all the way back home too."

I grin, "And then you get lazy and complain and give me puppy eyes. And I end up having to drive you home."

"Hey!" she protests with a laugh, "You're house is just around the corner! Mine is four blocks down. Be a gentleman and help a lady out!"

We laugh, our shoulders shaking together as we collapse into each other's sides.

"I'm sure Mom will let you come over for a couple hours," I say. My eyes focus on a flock of crows flying above. She makes a noncommittal sound and pushes herself to her feet.

I turn my gaze from the birds to her face, "Ready to head back?"

"Clouds are coming in," she replies, her eyes are trained on some dark clouds looming in the distance, "It's probably going to rain again," she grins, motioning to her muddy clothes and skin, "I'm covered in enough mud, thank you very much."

I smile up at her and climb to my feet as well. Her eyes are shining in the sunlight and there's a spot of dried mud streaked from her left cheekbone to the middle of her chin. I can't help but wipe it away with my fingers.

"There goes some of it."

"Thanks."

Her voice sounds different, but I can't place the tone. So I offer her a smile and an arm so that she can hobble across the field. She glares at the proffered arm, preferring to limp unaided. I simply shake my head and follow her.

We're walking in the direction of the sidewalk to walk towards my house when the skies open up and a fine, persistent, and unbelievably cold drizzle begins to fall. She finally allows me to help her as we make our way over uneven gravel that threatens to send us both pitching to the ground. Her body is warm against mine, even as she shivers.

We're walking on the sidewalk when the skies really open up and spill buckets of cold rain on us. She laughs, face upturned to the dark grey clouds and storm covered sky. Water runs down her face and neck in clear rivers. My eyes are frozen to her face and she turns, catching my gaze. She smiles up at me.

"I've always loved the rain," the grin on her face is as bright as the sun, "When I was little my mother would always let me play outside in the rain. She says she could never get me away from it. I like to say I was born a reincarnated water spirit. It's completely irrational," she explains with a shrug, "But I am a Pisces so maybe that explains it."

"Maybe," I agree, suddenly at loss for words.

"It's funny, but in all the movies people always kiss in the rain. I can't tell if it would be wonderful or if it would just be wet and slippery. Have you ever thought about it? It's an interesting hypothesis."

Her eyes are staring straight into mine as she finishes her question.

I could see the opening. She'd provided the perfect opportunity. I took half a step closer. Her tongue darts out, moistening her lips absentmindedly. I couldn't tear my gaze from her eyes though. This was my chance. I could kiss her, we could both find out the answer to her hypothesis. I was half a foot away when a loud clap of thunder resounded overhead. I jerked my eyes from hers to watch lightning flash across the dark sky.

"Mikey?"

"I don't know. I guess I've never thought about it before," I recover, "Maybe it's wonderful, maybe it's like drowning."

"Maybe it's both?" She smiles.

I chuckle nervously, trying to save myself, "We should hurry and get back to my house before we're crispy or waterlogged or both."

I rewrap my arm around her shoulders to help her to my house. My brain is swimming and I feel like I'm drowning in coconut lotion or shampoo or perfume or something. Drowning in her. I had my opening and didn't take it. We didn't find out the answer to her question. But next time, next rain storm, I will. We will find out how kissing in the rain feels. Even if it means we drown in each other.


End file.
